


Gardens of Babylon

by youngreign



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Ancient Greece, Angst, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Inaccurate Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, M/M, Marauders, Marauders Era (Harry Potter), Requited Love, Slow Burn, Unrequited Love, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-16
Packaged: 2021-03-15 17:35:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29317986
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/youngreign/pseuds/youngreign
Summary: "now you hang from my lips, like the gardens of Babylon. with your boots beneath my bed, forever is the sweetest con."Marauders fanfic set in Ancient Greece (AU) - not entirely historically accurate.
Relationships: James Potter/Lily Evans Potter, Marlene McKinnon/Dorcas Meadowes, Regulus Black/James Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Kudos: 3





	1. Chapter 1

**_khrysopos:_ ** _(adj.) with golden eyes or face._

  
Rays of sun found their way inside the palace room, waking the young prince from his slumber. He stretched his limbs, his dark curls falling in front of his face. As he swung his legs off the palette, his feet found the cold marble floor of the palace. The birds on the window sill were chirping their morning tune, each louder than the other. The prince changed into the tunic that he had been wearing the day prior and exited his bedroom.

As per usual, one of the servants was sat next to the door, patiently waiting to greet his prince and escort him to the dining room. Nestor stood up quickly, bowing to his master.

“Prince Sirius, how are you this morning?”

His speech was hesitant as always, the Anatolian accent lay heavy on his tongue. It’s an accent that Sirius had grown to recognize as many Trojans lived in Greek cities following their battle against Troy.

“I am well.” Sirius replied before journeying to the dining room, Nestor following closely behind him.

To his surprise, he found his father sitting at the head of the table, finishing up his breakfast. King Orion nodded at him and motioned for him to sit down. Sirius took a seat next to his father and a bowl of porridge was immediately put in front of him by one of the servants.

Breakfast was silent as per usual, the only sound heard in the room was the clattering of the cutlery. The servants rushed in and out of the room, adding to the food on the table and removing the empty dishes. 

“What are your plans for today?” his father asked, “Any lessons?”

“Archery, father.”

“Ah, the sport of fine kings, wouldn’t you agree?”

Sirius nodded. It wasn't often that his father accompanied him for breakfast, as King Orion usually rose from his bed after he did. It was strange to see him out of bed this early and he couldn’t help but wondered what the reason was for his father's early morning. 

“I plan to see mother today.” Sirius said, breaking the silence. 

“Has she asked you to come visit?” his father asked, averting his gaze.

His mother was always a sensitive subject. They did not talk about her often, as Sirius did not see her often anyway.

“I have dreamt of it.”

“I see. And where will you meet her?”

“At the edge of the forest. I presume she has something to tell me.”

“Naturally.”

Shortly after, Sirius excused himself from the breakfast table and headed to the field beside the palace. He found his teacher waiting for him, sharpening the blades of the arrows. “I was beginning to think you were not coming, young prince.”

“I apologize, Archimedes. I lost myself in conversation with my father.”

“Ah, no matter. You are here now.” Archimedes raised the bow to his face, examining it closely. “Have you practiced this past week?”

“I cannot say I have,” Sirius grinned, “Though I believe talent such as mine presents itself even without practice.”

Archimedes laughed. “We shall see, Orionedes.” _Son of Orion_.

Archimedes set up the targets - one further away than the other - and handed him the weapon. Sirius placed the arrow on the bow and aimed it at his target. Once he was sure of his aim, he pulled back the arrow and released it from his grip. The arrow shot ahead straight into the center of the target, right where Archimedes had marked for him to aim.

“I am impressed,” Archimedes praised, “Though not surprised.”

“I have my mother's gift.”

Sirius continued on practicing with Archimedes, who kept adjusting the targets throughout the lessons as a way to increase the difficulty for the young prince. They practiced for hours on end, before Sirius finally set the arrow down. 

“I must leave you now. My mother has asked me to meet her by sundown.”

“Of course.”

They bid each other farewell and he made his way to the forest. He plucked a few figs on his way in attempt to still his hunger. They frequently missed meals as a result of his determination; he never wanted to stop until they were both exhausted.

She was easy to spot and he immediately saw her when the forest came into view. Her wavy black hair was hanging down her back and her long white dress was draped over the boulder she was seated on.

“Good evening mother.”

“Sirius. You have received my message.”

Sirius nodded, sitting down on a boulder across from her.

“I was watching you practice. It’s not sufficient to win wars yet, but your aim is not bad.”

“Thank you, mother.”

They sat in silence, watching the sun disappear into the ground.

“How is Regulus?” he asked.

“He is well. He wishes to come down to see you.”

“Why does he not?”

“I do not permit it. It does not do well for a young god to dwell on earth among these mortals.”

“I see.”

“It disgusts me to see you here,” his mother hissed.

“It is not bad.”

“You do not belong here.”

This was a conversation they had nearly every time he saw her. While his mother wanted to raise her son away from the mortal world, his father required an heir for his kingdom. Therefore, when his brother Regulus was born, his mother insisted that he would not suffer the same fate. While they were younger, the brothers frequently met and became the closest of friends. As they got older however, they were allowed to meet less and less, until their mother put a stop to their meetings.

And as much as he missed his brother, Sirius was quite content in the mortal world.

“I come bearing news, Sirius.”

Sirius had expected this. She had just spoken to him a week prior and would not ask to meet him so soon after if she didn’t have something to tell him.

“The Fates see a war rising,” she recalled, “At the hands of the son of Hades.”

Sirius nodded.

“Your father will want you to fight. I do not wish for you to do so,” she continued.

“Why not?”

“It is not your war. You must not get involved in the feuds between these mortals.”

“Does father know about the war yet?”

“He knows of it. That is the reason he plans to send you to Argos. You are to be trained in combat by Philoctetes alongside another prince.”

“And you agree with his plans?”

“I do not, but you must do so to please him and not raise suspicion. However, you must leave when the war has risen.”

“Where would I go?”

“That is not your concern. I will come for you when the time is near.”

“Who is the other prince?”

“He is the son of King Filimon of Corinth.”

“When am I to leave?”

“You will leave at the end of the week.”

That was probably why his father was up so early. He had been arranging his departure.

“There is more. The Fates refused to speak of who will win the war, but they have said that many will not live to see the end of it. Atropos revealed that entrustment will be the downfall of even the most powerful warriors.”

The phrase had stayed with Sirius all the way back to the palace, where he went to his bedroom right away. Despite his stomach’s angry sounds, he had no appetite. He laid on the palette, but sleep did not come to him that night.

He would miss Mycenae. He had not asked his mother how long he was to stay in Argos, but he inferred it would be quite a long time. Sirius wondered what the other prince would be like. His excitement grew at the thought of possibly making a friend, as there were no boys of his age at the palace. Would they get along?

Sirius’ delight was quickly overshadowed by the remembrance of his mother's words. _Entrustment will be the downfall of even the most powerful warriors_. Would he be able to trust the prince of Corinth?

The week following the meeting with his mother, Sirius had not been able to concentrate on anything but his departure from Mycenae. His father had visited him during his lessons one evening to inform him of his move to Argos, which Sirius was of course already aware of. Nevertheless, he pretended to be surprised as per his mother’s instruction.

As the servants packed the last of his things, Sirius straightened out his tunic and laced up his sandals. As the trip was to be taken on horseback and he wanted to avoid being scorched by the sun, he planned to leave at the break of dawn. Nestor busied himself with saddling up the horses, as he would accompany him to Argos.

The journey to Argos was not long and they found themselves entering a small, quiet village before the sun got reached the peak of its heat. Argos was nothing like the Mycenae, where it was rarely not busy and there was always something going on.

Upon their entrance, a short boy stood up from his seat quickly and hurried towards them. The boy had dirty blonde hair, a slight red tint to his skin and appeared to be around Sirius’ age.

“Prince Sirius of Mycenae?” the boy asked, nervously. 

“Who is asking?” Sirius replied. 

“I am Peteos. Philoctetes has asked me to lead you to his abode.”

“Are you Philoctetes' servant?” 

Peteos looked offended by this. “I am no servant, prince of Mycenae.”

“Who are you then?”

“I am..” Peteos hesitated, “I am an exile. Philoctetes gives us shelter and lessons in return for help around the castle.”

Nestor shrieked and glanced at his master nervously, anticipating his response.

Sirius made no attempt to mask his displeasure. He had not been made aware that he would be sharing his new home with a group of exiles.

“Well then. I will no longer require your assistance from here on, Nestor.” he said, eyeing Peteos up and down.

At hearing these words, Nestor loaded Sirius' luggage on to his horse, before he mounted his own horse again and bid him farewell. He watched as his faithful servant rode off and turned his attention back on Peteos.

“Lead the way.”

The boy started walking further into the village and Sirius trailed behind him. As he let his eyes wander over the unfamiliar territory, he noticed civilians peeking out of their houses. He almost did not notice Peteos coming to a halt in front of a small castle, which was surrounded by a massive field.

Peteos opened the door of the castle and motioned for Sirius to enter. He hopped off his horse and handed its reigns to the boy.

“I will take care of your things, yes?” Peteos said and nodded towards the wooden door beside the stairs. “You can go find Philoctetes. He should be in the dining room.”

Sirius opened the door and was met by two sets of curious eyes. “Orionedes?” Philoctetes abandoned his seat and walked towards him, holding out his hand.

“That is me.” he said, shaking Philoctetes’ hand.

“I have been anticipating your arrival, prince of Mycenae. I am honored to host and teach you.”

“The honor is all mine, Philoctetes,” Sirius turned to the boy behind him. “This must be the prince of Corinth?”

“I am, though I prefer Jamis,” The boy had messy black hair and friendly hazel eyes. “It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, prince of Mycenae.”

“I prefer Sirius.” he teased, causing Jamis to chuckle. 

“The two of you have been sent here by your parents in order to be trained by me,” Philoctetes began, “And I will do so. However, some of your lessons will be shared with the two other boys in the castle.”

“We will be trained alongside exiles?” Sirius blurted out.

“Indeed.” Philoctetes eyed him knowingly. “Will that be a problem?”

This was unheard of, princes being trained alongside exiles as if they were of the same status. What would his mother think? 

Sirius looked at Jamis, who seemed unbothered by the thought of being treated the same way as unwanted outcasts.

“No, it will not. I apologize for the interruption..” 

“Our lessons will commence tomorrow,” Philoctetes said and nodded towards the door. “Peteos will show you to your rooms now.”

They found Peteos waiting by the door and he led them to their rooms. Jamis’ room was right next to his, which Sirius was quite pleased with. Peteos and the other exile's rooms were across the hall. He wondered when he would get to meet the other boy.

Sirius opened the door to his room and found his belongings neatly placed in the middle of his room. As he was unpacking his bags, he heard a knock on his door.

Before he could answer the door, Jamis burst in and sat on his bed. “So... Is it true that your mother is a goddess?”

“Yes?” Sirius sat down across from the other prince, the confusion undoubtedly etched on his face.

“Mother and father were talking about it, but she wouldn't tell me which goddess it was when I asked.”

“Nemesis.”

Jamis' eyes widened. “Woah. Remind me to never get on your bad side.”

Sirius grinned. “Yeah, you better be careful.”

“What is it like? Having a goddess for a mother?”

“I don't know. I don't see her often.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.”

Sirius did not want his pity. He had nothing to be pitied for. If anything, Jamis should be seeing green with envy that his mother was a goddess. 

“Don't you think it's strange for us to be training with exiles?” Sirius said, adamant to change the subject.

“Not really. We have loads of exiles back in Corinth. One of them even became father’s most trusted advisor.”

“Really?” Sirius said, astonished. “Father does not allow exiles in the palace. Says they're not worthy.”

“That seems unfair. We’re all humans, aren’t we?”

“Well, I’m only half human.”

Jamis laughed and shoved him. “Oh, shut up.”

The two boys got lost in conversation, snorting with laughter. Sirius was thoroughly enjoying himself and his mother’s warning was now a distant memory.

A knock on the door interrupted the boys’ banter and Jamis stood up to grant the visitor entry. It was Peteos, but he was not alone.

The boy was a lot taller than Peteos – moreover, he was taller than both Sirius _and_ Jamis. His hair was a curly mess and its color resembled that of fresh honey. His eyes were an array of different shades of green and light freckles decorated his face, alongside light pink scars.

The boy was looking at him, but Sirius could not read his expression.

“This is Sirius, prince of Mycenae and Jamis, prince of Corinth.” Peteos said, gesturing towards the boys that were sitting on the bed. He then pointed to the boy beside him, “This is Remus.”

“The other exile?” Why did he say that?

“Uh... yes.” Peteos replied, awkwardly shuffling his feet.

“It’s nice to meet you, Remus,” Jamis said, ignoring his new friend’s crudeness.

“The pleasure is all mine, prince of Corinth.” Remus replied, slightly taken aback.

“Call me Jamis, please.”

“Of course.”

“Yes, it’s a delight to make your acquaintance.” Sirius said, flashing Remus a smile.

The other boy did not meet his eyes, and Sirius heard him murmur a soft “And yours.”

A slightly awkward silence filled the room, until Peteos cleared his throat.

“Anyway, Remus and I were heading downstairs for dinner. You two are welcome to join us if you please.”

“Thank you, Peteos.” Jamis smiled at him and Peteos returned the gesture.

The two boys exited the room, closing the door behind them. Jamis turned to him. “Why would you say that? That was so rude!”

“I don’t know!” Sirius groaned, “It just slipped out.”

“You need to apologize.”

“Why? He is an exile, isn’t he?”

“Sirius.”

“Jamis.”

Jamis sighed. “Let’s go eat.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dictionary:
> 
> Anatolian - the language spoken by Trojans before the Trojan War.  
> Tunic - The tunic was worn as a shirt or gown by both genders among the ancient Greeks. The body garment was loose-fitting for males, usually beginning at the neck and ending above the knee.  
> Exile - If you are exiled from a place, you must leave and not return. Such punishment is called exile.
> 
> Nemesis - goddess of divine retribution and revenge, who would show her wrath to any human being that would commit hubris, i.e. arrogance before the gods. She was considered a remorseless goddess.  
> Hades - Greek god of the Underworld, the place where human souls go after death.  
> The Fates - (also known as Moirai) a group of three weaving goddesses who assign individual destinies to mortals at birth.  
> Philoctetes - the son of King Poeas in Greek mythology and a Greek hero who participated in the Trojan War.  
> Atropos - one of the three Fates.  
> Peteos - Greek version of the name Peter (Peter Pettigrew).  
> Jamis - Greek version of the name James (James Potter).


	2. Chapter 2

**_kairos:_ ** _(n) the perfect, delicate, crucial moment; the fleeting rightness of time and place that creates the opportune atmosphere for action, words, or movement._

The weeks following their introduction, no friendship had ensued between Sirius and Remus. It seemed that Remus was quite offended at the remark he had made that evening. Sirius could not care less. Why should he befriend the exile anyway? He had Jamis, a prince worthy of his friendship.

Jamis and Sirius became inseparable, one would not find each without the other. They trained together, dined together, studied together and spent every waking minute of the day beside each other. Of course, a lot of the time Peteos and Remus were there too, but Sirius liked to pretend they weren’t.

His annoyance would grow every time Philoctetes made them switch partners when training, meaning he would be forced to spar with Remus or Peteos instead. They were not worthy opponents, they were merely exiles. It was offensive that Philoctetes thought of them as equals.

Jamis on the other hand, seemed perfectly content with the other two boys. He had grown particularly close to Peteos, who he now referred to as ‘Pete’. Peteos admired the two princes, and he did everything he could to impress them. It was annoying, yes, but also quite entertaining. As for Remus, Jamis said the two of them were friendly but that he was quite closed off for the most part.

Sirius had noticed this too of course. While Peteos often joined his and Jamis’ conversations at the dining table, Remus never spoke more than a few words and they were never directed at Sirius. Their only form of communication was making noises of disdain and annoyance when the other was speaking.

Sirius was not bothered by this, yet he often found himself wondering what the reason was for the boy’s exile. Peteos told them his story; While working for the king of Thebes, Tisamenus, his friend got in a fight with the king’s son: Autesion. Autesion injured his spine and was no longer able to walk. While Peteos did not touch him, Autesion named him as an accomplice and he was thus exiled from Thebes.

When they asked Peteos what the reason was for Remus’ exile, he could not tell them. “When I first got to the castle, Philoctetes told me that he took him in seven years ago.”

Peteos had been living at the castle for two years already. If Remus was the same age as Sirius, that would mean he had been there ever since he was five. What could a boy of five years old have done that would get him exiled?

The knowledge of this made Sirius even more certain of his choice to stay far away from Remus, as the boy was undoubtedly incredibly dangerous. Jamis did not agree with him though, and was even more intrigued by the other boy.

“Don’t you think it makes him cooler?” he asked him one night, while the two of them were sitting on his bed.

“I do not.”

“Oh, come on. You only say that because you dislike him.”

“I don’t dislike him. Dislike would imply that I care about him. And I don’t.”

“Sure.”

“You know, he probably killed someone.”

“What? No way, you heard what Pete said. Remus got here years ago, he must have been just a boy.”

“People only get exiled when they pose a danger to a kingdom.”

“Untrue. Pete was just at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

“If you believe what he says.”

“You think he’s a killer too?”

“He could be.”

He gave Jamis a grave look, before the two boys burst into laughter.

Peteos did not have the guts to kill anyone. The small, nervous boy was terrified to make eye contact and turned pink every time someone spoke to him.

On the days that they did not have any lessons, the boys often ventured into the village or the forest surrounding it. Peteos and Remus would join them sometimes, but mostly it would just be Jamis and him.

They often found a group of girls on the edge of the forest who would be braiding each other’s hair, playing the Lyre while the others danced or weaving new robes. Jamis had randomly walked up to them one day, forcing Sirius to come along.

“Good afternoon.” Jamis rumpled up his hair as he spoke – an annoying habit he had. “I am Jamis, prince of Corinth.”

Sirius raised his eyebrows in surprise: the humble Jamis he had gotten to know seemed to be nowhere to be found.

“And this,” Jamis gestured towards him, “Is prince Sirius of Mycenae.”

One of the girls huffed and rolled her sparkling green eyes. “And I am princess Liliana of Athens,” she said, the sarcasm evident in her voice, and turned her back to them. “Good day sirs.”

Jamis eyes widened and Sirius couldn’t help but snort at his shocked expression.

“Lil, they’re actually princes.” her friend whispered to her, before standing up and walking over to them. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, your Highnesses. My name is Maria.”

The girl was beautiful. The kind of beautiful men wrote poetry about, the kind of beautiful men went to war for. Her long dark locks fell down the sun kissed skin of her back, her dark eyes mysterious and inviting, and she had an accent that Sirius did not recognize.

“You are not from here, yes?” he asked.

“I am not. I am from the land of Babylon.”

“What brings you here?”

“My mother and I had to flee.”

“How come?”

“It’s quite a long story.”

“We have time.” Jamis chimed in.

Maria sat down in her original spot, and the boys joined her.

“My father was a cruel man. He took pleasure in hurting my mother and I, both physically and emotionally. We were the happiest when he was away from home.”

She took a deep breath and continued.

“While my father was away, my mother fell in love with one of the guards of the palace, Heron.”

“The palace?” Sirius interrupted.

“Yes. My father is the king of Babylon.”

He nodded understandingly and gestured for her to continue.

“When my father found out, he detained him and ordered his execution. My mother snuck down to the dungeons that night and freed him. The three of us fled to Greece the same night.”

“That’s quite the journey.” Jamis said, “Is there a reason you chose to flee to Argos specifically?”

“Heron is from here originally, which guaranteed us shelter with his family.”

“What is Babylon like?” Sirius asked.

“Enchantingly beautiful. I will tell you more about it someday.”

He nodded, turning back to the rest of their company. He had been so focused on Maria and her story, that he had completely forgotten about the three other girls sitting around them.

“So, princess Liliana of Athens, princess Maria of Babylon, and …?” He asked. The red haired girl’s cheeks turned a light pink.

“Marlène,” Maria pointed at the pale, blonde girl with hazel eyes - who was incidentally giving him a dirty look, “and Dorkas.” A dark skinned girl with high cheekbones and dark curls that perfectly framed her face.

“You are here to train with Philoctetes, no?” she asked.

“Yes, we are. How do you know that?” Jamis replied.

“Peteos told us you were coming.”

“You know him?” Sirius asked. Peteos didn’t really seem like a ladies’ man. 

“It’s a small village. Remus and Marlène have been friends for quite a long time and he often brings Peteos along when he comes to visit her.”

“I see.”

“Which is how I know how much of an arrogant, vile little boy you are.” Marlène suddenly jeered.

“Marlène!”

“What? Remus told me what he’s like, Dorkas.”

“And what has that exile told you exactly?” Sirius bit back. The word had once again left his mouth before he could stop himself.

She stood up and Sirius did the same. “Marlène, please.” Dorkas pulled on her dress, pleading for her to sit down.

Marlène looked at her and sighed, obeying her friend’s wishes.

“I think it’s time for us to leave.” Jamis muttered as Sirius stormed away.

Sirius had not returned to the forest ever since that day months prior, but Jamis often joined Remus and Peteos when they went. He would always return pining over Liliana, who despite his best efforts, kept rejecting his advances.

This was one of those days. Peteos went to run some errands in the village and Jamis happily joined him, leaving Remus and Sirius alone in the castle. Sirius was bored out of his mind without Jamis and after much deliberation, decided to go to the library room to find something to read.

He pushed the door open, finding Remus seated on the palette in the middle of the room, reading. He did not bother to look up from his book, slightly surprising Sirius. That was new. Remus never passed up an opportunity to glare at him whenever he entered a room.

Sirius walked past him to the huge bookshelf that was located in the back of the room and let his eyes roam around the many book titles. The books were not neatly aligned like they were in the palace, instead stacked on top of each other and located dangerously close to the edge.

The only book that didn’t sound mind-numbingly boring was “The Heroic tales of Heracles”, which he then pried from the bottom of a stack of books – a decision he would soon come to regret. The stack of books tumbled over against another, and another, and another... And before he could react, the floor had been carpeted in books.

Sirius mentally cursed himself for ever leaving his bedroom and started picking up the books from the floor. Seconds later, a pair of sandaled feet appeared beside him and he watched as Remus crouched down to start picking up books as well.

“You don’t have to do that.” Sirius said.

“Sure, I do. I’m just an exile, what else am I good for?”

Sirius felt his cheeks heat up and quickly averted his gaze. He knew he ought to apologize, but could not bring himself to do so.

Remus stacked the books on top of each other, putting them back on the shelves as they had been before. 

“Maybe we should just place the books next to each other.” Sirius suggested, “To prevent something like this from happening again.”

“It has never happened before so I don’t think the books are to blame.” Remus replied, still not meeting Sirius’ eyes. “But of course, your Highness, your wish is my command.”

The two boys silently aligned the books on the shelves, which took longer than Sirius had expected. Remus then went back to the palette he had been sitting on earlier and continued reading his book.

Sirius tucked his book under his arm and proceeded to walk out of the room. Before he closed the door, he turned around once more. “Thank you, …Remus.”

Remus nodded, before looking up from his book momentarily. Finally meeting Sirius’ eyes for the first time since the night they had first met, his eyes then trailed down to the book under his arm.

“You know that’s a children’s book, right?”

Sirius rolled his eyes at him, before he exited the room and closed the door behind him. And as much as he fought it, he couldn’t help a smile from creeping across his face as he walked back to his bedroom.

Soon after Sirius had sat down to read his book, Jamis and Peteos returned from the village and the four boys settled in for dinner. For reasons unknown to any of them, Philoctetes never joined them for dinner. Moreover, he was seldom present at the castle and would leave on days that they did not train. Remus had told them that he had been like that for as long as he could remember.

“Where do you think he goes?” Jamis had asked.

Remus had shrugged. “I don’t know. I’ve never asked him.”

Remus had started to loosen up just a bit around the other boys, still never speaking to Sirius directly. Not that Sirius ever directed his speech towards him anyway. What good would that do?

Weeks later, Sirius dreamt of his mother which was a rare occurrence. She was standing at the edge of the forest in Argos, her long black hair moving with the wind. _“Come see me at the break of dawn.”_

He awoke with a jolt, only to find that it was already starting to get light outside. He jumped up, slipped on his tunic and laced up his sandals, before quietly treading down the stairs. To his surprise, he heard quiet voices in the dining room. His curiosity got the best of him and he gently pushed the door open.

Remus looked sickly: he had dark circles underneath his eyes, his skin had a slight grayish tint to it and his torso seemed to be painted in fresh cuts. Philoctetes was tending to his wounds when Remus noticed him standing in the door opening. He nudged Philoctetes, who sat up and followed Remus’ eyes.

“Ah, good morning Sirius. Eager to start training, are you?” he asked.

“Good morning. I am, I just have to head into the village for a bit. I’ll be back before training starts, I promise.”

“What could you possibly be in need of this early in the day? Besides, the shops have not even opened yet.”

“My mother has asked me to meet her.”

“Oh, of course.” Philoctetes looked taken aback. “I apologize.”

Sirius nodded and glanced at Remus, who he noticed had covered up his body with a piece of fabric. He waited for the boy to meet his eyes, but that moment did not come. He bid them farewell and exited the room once more.

It had been months since he had last seen his mother; the night she announced his departure to Argos. As he walked past the village, into the forest, he found her impatiently awaiting his arrival.

“You know I hate to be kept waiting.” she hissed.

Sirius shivered. If he hadn’t been adamant to eavesdrop on Remus and Philoctetes, he would have been on time. Didn’t they say that curiosity killed the cat?

“I’m sorry, mother. I was held up at the castle.”

“You prioritize these mortals over your own mother?”

“I don’t! I just... I lost track of time.”

“Don’t let it happen again.”

“I won’t, I’m sorry.”

She looked at him, her piercing blue eyes devoid of any emotion.

“I’ve been watching you, at the castle.”

“You spent an awful lot of time with the other prince.”

“He’s nice.”

“You have been sent here to train, not to make friends.”

“I know. It’s just nice to have someone to talk to.”

“There is no need for empty speech,” she huffed, “And don’t even get me started on the exiles. How dare Philoctetes train you in the company of filthy outcasts? I ought to have a word with him, have them removed from the castle at once. He will not refuse me.”

“You can’t send them away.” Sirius said with a defiant tone. “That’s their home.”

“Are you giving me orders?”

“No, of course not. It’s just… They’re won’t do any harm.”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “They were exiled for a reason, weren’t they?”

“Well, Peteos’ friend injured the prince of Thebes and he was named as an accomplice. And Remus… I don’t know. He doesn’t seem like the violent type.”

She crossed her arms in front of her chest. “Fair enough, they can stay. I will not have you befriending them though.”

“Of course not, mother. Thank you.”

She stroked his hair, and Sirius was slightly shaken at his mother’s sudden burst of affection.

“Your hair is a mess.”

“I did not have time to brush it this morning.”

“It’s not appealing.”

“I know.”

Her hands trailed down to the nape of his neck and he felt the cold rush of metal falling against his skin. She sat back and Sirius’ hand immediately went to his neck, letting his fingertips touch the metal. He caught it between his fingers and looked at it. It was a golden necklace, with a small arrow dangling at the end of it.

“I asked Apollo to fashion it for me. Let it be a reminder of your divine blood. A reminder of how much better you are than these mortals.”

“Mother... Thank you.”

They sat in silence and Sirius kept glancing down at his necklace in amazement. His mother had never given him a gift before. He felt tears prickling in his eyes and continuously tried blinking them away. She could not see him cry. She would think he was weak. _“Weak like your father.”_

Sirius instinctively sniffed and glanced up at her to see if she had heard it, only to find that she had vanished. His mother rarely bid him farewell and would instead just leave when she saw fit to do so.

He stood up and started making his way back to the village, when a soft voice emerged from behind him.

“Sirius?” He turned around and found her sitting by the stream, washing a piece of fabric.

“Maria.”

“How have you been?”

“I have been well.”

“You never join Jamis when he comes to visit us.”

“I don’t think Marlène likes me very much.”

“Oh, don’t mind her. There’s not a lot of things that Marlène likes.”

Sirius chuckled.

“Who were you talking to back there?”

“My mother.”

Her eyes widened, indicating that she knew exactly who his mother was. “She… she was here?”

“Yes.”

“So that’s why the forest was freezing.” she mumbled.

He nodded. His mother’s presence could always be recognized by a significant drop in temperature.

The opposite of Maria, he had noticed. She radiated warmth; he felt a rush of heat the moment she had placed her hand on his arm. The kindness in her eyes made him feel at ease. As much as he would have liked to stay in her presence, he had to get back to the castle to make it to his training on time.

“Listen Maria, I have to go. My training is about to start and I promised Philoctetes I would be on time.”

“Yes, of course.”

“I will come visit you soon, yes?”

“I would be honored, your Highness.”

She pressed a kiss to his cheek and he smiled at her, before she turned around and retreated back into the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dictionary:
> 
> Tisamenus - King of Thebes.  
> Autesion - Prince of Thebes, his father's successor.  
> Babylon - Babylon is the most famous city from ancient Mesopotamia whose ruins lie in modern-day Iraq, southwest of Baghdad.  
> Heracles - one of the most recognised and famous of the divine heroes in Greek mythology.  
> Apollo - one of the most complex and important gods, and is the god of many things, including: music, poetry, art, oracles, archery, plague, medicine, sun, light and knowledge.
> 
> Maria - Greek version of the name Mary (Mary MacDonald).  
> Liliana - Greek version of the name Lily (Lily Evans).  
> Dorkas - Greek version of the name Dorcas (Dorcas Meadowes).  
> Marlène - Greek version of the name Marlene (Marlene McKinnon).


End file.
